Leslie reports from the Le Gruyere European Curling Championships in Moscow:"Scotland played Denmark this morning. The first end was blanked with the hammer. Second (end) looked promising until Frederiksen played a double with his second stone to lie but Glen hit and ran with his second stone. Advantage Scotland was gone. Blank end.
Third, and against four Danish stones, David drew and finished in second position. Denmark stole a single.
Denmark dominated again in the fourth end. Against two shots, David was forced to draw with last stone to tie the game 1-1. Fifth and sixth were blank ends and in seventh Stjerne plays an angled raise takeout to count two shots.
Denmark dominated again in the fourth end. Against two shots, David was forced to draw with last stone to tie the game 1-1. Fifth and sixth were blank ends and in seventh Stjerne plays an angled raise takeout to count two shots.
Eighth and Scotland was in trouble again. With Denmark lying two more shots, David tried a tap up but angles were all wrong. Denmark now led 5-1 and there was no way back for the Scots. In the ninth, David drew for one with last stone but all is in vain as Denmark easily ran the Scots out of stones at the last.
Although the coffin lid has not yet been slammed tight you would have forgiven an onlooker thinking differently looking at the faces of David, Glen, Ross and Richard as they left the ice.
With three games to go (against France, Latvia and Sweden) a lot could still happen, but you have to believe the door is closing. The key is probably Team Switzerland, on the same wins (three) as David but with two of the contending teams for the playoffs in Germany and Denmark to play.
Let's just believe in the team and hope they can win all three games and at least be in with a shout of qualification; and it does not matter whether it is direct or by a tiebreak, so good luck lads!"
Scores: Denmark 5 Scotland 2, Norway 5 France 2, Sweden 8 Switzerland 7, Czech Republic 7 Germany 4, Latvia 5 Italy 4.
Standings: 5/1 Denmark, Sweden, 4/2 Norway, Germany, 3/3 Czech Republic, Scotland, Switzerland 2/4 Latvia, 1/5 France, 0/6 Italy.
Mike Haggerty's reports for the Royal Club are here.
All the results, standings, and statistics are here.
Top photo of the Scots in action is © Leslie Ingram-Brown
